Cycle light switch



March 13, 1951 LE ROY R. HARDY CYCLE LIGHT SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1949 Inventor LeRoy R. Hardy March 13, 1951 LE ROY R, HARDY 2,545,085

CYCLE LIGHT SWITCH Filed July 22, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 58' C i- Fig.5.

Inventor LeRoy R Hardy gum WWW Z5. M1

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,545,085 CYCLE LIGHT SWITCH Le Roy R. Hardy, Alvin, Tex.

Application July 22, 1949, Serial N0.'1(l6,162

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an improved means and of an improved method for producing distinct and, at the same time, uniform lighting effects over a maximum of area, using a minimum of light, so that a display sign using these means and methods will not appear garish.

Another object of the invention relates to improvements in devices and methods whereby a group of electric lamps can be lighted selectively at predetermined intervals.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for widely dispersing light from suitable electric lamps 01' the like over a maximum of area by means of centrally located actuation mechanism. The invention is to provide means for selectively lighting electric lamps and cutting them oil at speeds faster than the human eye is sensitive to.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a preferred embodiment for carrying out the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top view, taken upon an enlarged scale, of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationship of the various circuits of this invention.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, the numeral I i designates generally the improved actuation device of the present invention. This tion device In consists of a stationary oute" member 52 having cylindrical side walls 54 and having a bottom it having an aperture therein for a purpose to be later described. This cylindrical stationary member is preferably made from an insulating material, but obviously could be made from such materials as desired. Inlaid in said stationary member along the side walls I4 thereof are a series of contact points which 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-24) are insulated from each other by plastic insulators 2!} inlaid between each of said inlaid contacts l8.

At predetermined locations, the bottom of the stationary member !2 is thickened to form spacing means 22 and a central annular rim 24 sur rounding the aforesaid aperture. Supported within a recess 26 of the annular rim 24 and secured to the spacing means 22 is a cover ring 28. The cover ring 28 thus provides a space 39 for wiringfcircuits which will be more fully described in ensuing portions of the specification. Within the aforesaid aperture in the stationary member !2 is a ball bearing encircled shaft 32 extending well above the cover ring 28 and rotatable within a sleeve 34 having flanges 35 secured to the rim 24 of'the stationary member l2. Further, at suitable locations, commutating members 38' are rigidly secured to the bottom of th stationary member and extend through the cover ringZB. p N

An inner disk or wheel at is rigidly secured to the shaft 32 by such means as the bolt 42 and is rotatable Within the outer stationary member I 2. An inner annular recess 44 is provided in the bottom of the inner revolving disk or wheel 49. On the upper side of the annular recess 44 is an electrical contact plate 45. The commutating members 38 contact the contact plate 46 which is secured to the upper surface of the annular recess 44 as the inner revolving wheel is rotated. Electrically connected to the contact plate 46 are commutator brushes 48 which extend at desired intervals through the periphery of the inner revolving disk 49. These commutator brushes 48 are forced by spring means 50 to successively engage the contact points 18 on said stationary member I2. A motor 52 is secured to the under side of the bottom l5 of the stationary member l2 and, by pulley means 54, rotates the shaft 32 which, in turn. revolves the wheel 40.

Within the space for wiring 3% are situated the circuits connecting the contact points 18 in the desired manner. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as can be seen more clearly in Figures 3 and 5, a source of power is connected to one terminal of the line 58 which then is connected to the commutating members 38, which, in turn, is connected to the contact plate 46. Electrically connected to the contact plate 46 are the commutating brushes 48. One end of element 60 is connected to the other terminal of the power source. Electric lamps 56 are connected to wires 62, one terminal of said wires being connected in parallel to element 66, the

other ends of said wires being connected to a contact point l8. Thus, it is easily understood that as the inner disk revolves, it makes and breaks an electric circuit by the commutating brushes making and breaking contact with the contact points [8 in successive order. Thus, the circuits including the electric lamps 56 are intimately made and each lamp 56 is then alternately lighted.

Since the human eye will record anything blinking less than sixteen times a second, it is intended to alternately light the bulbs much faster by simply rotating the speed of the inner revolving disk 40 so that the electric lamps will be alternatel lighted at a rate which the human eye is insensitive to. An example of the same motion would be a motion picture, where all the pictures are individual, yet one sees continuous motion without any unpleasant effect whatsoever. Thus, the electric lamps are turned on in such rapid succession that less than one-sixteenth of a, second elapses between the lighting of each lamp in a complete cycle of the inner revolving disk 50. The advantage of the invention, therefore, is that a shop, factory, restaurant, or the like, using this device as an advertising means would produce the impression of lighting a window by means of a large number of lamps, while, in fact, it produces only the amount of light that would be produced by a fewer number of lamps. Thus, the illumination would be satisfactory for advertising displays that would not be garish, nor hurt the eyes as many present advertising signs do. The impression of the customer would be that of an elaborate decoration, since the illumination would be distributed over a greater predetermined. area.

From the foregoing, the principles, operation and advantages of the invention, will be readily understood, and accordingly further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and equivalents, falling within the spiritv of the invention, will be readily understood by those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification, and annexed drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents ma be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

For use in an electric display system a device comprising a stationary cylinder having a cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall secured to said cylindrical side wall, a plurality of spaced insulated contact points inlaid in said side wall, said bottom wall having spaced thickened portions forming spacing means, said bottom wall having a central aperture therethrough, an annular rim about said aperture, a cover ring supported by said rim secured to said spacing means, a shaft journaled in said bottom wall and extending through said aperture, commutating members secured to said bottom wall extending through said cover ring, an inner disk rigidly secured to said shaft, an inner annular recess in the undersurface of said disk, a contact plate in said recess, said contact plate being engaged by said commutator members, a plurality of spaced commutator brushes secured to said disk, said commutator brushes being electrically connected to said contact plate, said commutator brushes successively engaging said contact points upon rotation of said shaft.

LE ROY R. HARDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNIIED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 505,346 Bierley Sept. 19, 1893 1,486,731 Cook Mar. 11, 1924 1,597,061 Cultra Aug. 24, 1926 1,769,060 Hendry July 1, 1930 1,784,884 Smith Dec. 16, 1930 2,088,370 Gingras July 27, 1937 2,179,889 Hall Nov. 14, 1939 2,399,165 Carson Apr. 30, 1946 2,404,074 Keen July 16, 1946 

